The Octopus Waiting Game

Apple, Apple Pay, Apple Pay Octopus, China T-Union, NFC, Transit

UPDATE
Apple Pay Octopus launched June 2, 2020, older Octopus related separate posts from December 2018~March 2019 have been merged here.

The release of Apple Pay China T-Union cards this week with the iOS 13.4.1 update was accompanied with a new Apple Pay China transit page that completely rebrands Apple Pay China as a transit experience. Considering the popularity of QR Code use in China and the slow speed of the China T-Union PBOC protocol, it makes sense for Apple to go all in promoting Express Transit: it’s the only real advantage Apple Pay has over QR Code AliPay and WeChat Pay.

The rollout was also accompanied by some Hong Kong anguish and mocking of the Apple Pay Octopus delay that has become a sad joke. Karen Chiu of SCMP drily noted that, “Apple Pay users in Hong Kong are out of luck,” and Octopus Cards Limited is just a big tease. Ouch!

Octopus Cards Limited made a joke but iPhone users are not laughing

There was sarcasm from others as well, best seen in the comments section of a trite lazy MacRumors piece Apple Pay’s Express Transit Feature Now Supported in 275 Chinese Cities that appears mostly lifted from an equally trite Benjamin Mayo 9to5 Mac post, both borrowing from the Karen Chiu piece without giving credit, so lazy that MacRumors used a MTA OMNY transit gate picture for a China transit story.

The comments are golden however and way more interesting than the story post. They illustrate not only frustration with the Apple Pay Octopus delay waiting game, but also note the seismic shift of Hong Kong in 2019:

Still no news for (Apple Pay Octopus) support in Hong Kong

>At least we know they are testing it. It has more to do with delays on stupid Map Transit

>Really can’t wait to use Octopus for Apple Pay Transit in Hong Kong! Its seriously taking them way too long to implement. This feature was rumored for so long and was already leaked before iOS 13 was released last year, yet we still do not have it.

>>They (Apple) are basically neglecting the HK market. Unacceptable to take so long

>>Hong Kong is so behind on this. Octopus Card company is flexing its monopoly power to the fullest extent. They work with Samsung in exclusive deals so Samsung users can use their phone to pay.

>>>Exactly. Totally unacceptable. At one point, I considered switching to Samsung just for this feature. (of course its impossible to climb over the high walls of the apple ecosystem garden, especially iCloud)

Hong Kong has delusions of grandeur because of its status as a place to buy Apple products for mainlanders when they weren’t so readily available on the mainland… as a market nowadays, it isn’t large at all. The focus is rightly on bigger markets.

>Bruh Hong Kong is jewel of the East, so it certainly deserves Apple’s focus on the market. And mainlanders can buy Apple products on the mainland, they are not welcomed in HK.

>>Perhaps in the past… If the various signs of HK fast losing its foothold isn’t obvious, I dunno what else is. Signs of big brands leaving HK, newer brands going direct to China and bypass HK, and months of protests+riots+bombing driving foreigners to rethink or left amidst COVID-19, etc…..

>>Shall see if HK is still relevant after the global COVID-19 is more or less over and as we march straight into a global recession.

Apple Pay’s Express Transit Feature Now Supported in 275 Chinese Cities

Is there any good new out there? The latest rumors now say Apple Pay Octopus will launch in May on iOS 13.4.5 iOS 13.5 that may, or may not be, the iOS release for the rumored iPhone SE (edit: iPhone SE went on sale with iOS 13.4).

The waiting game continues.

Apple Pay Octopus Waiting Game Timeline

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